Women Didn't Belong At Naval Academy

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA Sept. 13 -- In the Washingtonian magazine article, "Women Can't Fight" written 27 years ago, the ex-Marine James Webb, now running for Virginia Senator as a Democrat, wrote of the brutal conditions during the Vietnam War and argued against letting women into combat.

Republican Sen. Allen's campaign, fighting for a second term, zeroed in on a passage where his opponent said that he had never met a woman he "would trust to provide . . . combat leadership."

In his article, Webb argued women cannot physically endure combat training and military-style hazing. He also raised concerns about fraternization. "Men fight better without women around," said Webb, who later went on to become an Assistant Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the Navy under Reagan.

Webb's campaign responded aggressively to his opponent's charge, accusing Allen of opposing the admission of women to the Virginia Military Institute.

Allen has been on the defensive for a month, responding to criticism after calling a young Webb volunteer "Macaca" and fighting old charges of racial insensitivity.

Female midshipmen blame Webb's essay for much of the ill will they encountered when they first entered the Naval Academy.

Dan Proulx, a member of the academy's Class of 1982, said in a later interview that early classes of women were harassed but that he didn't think Webb's article fueled the problem: "I would say it reflected more the time and spirit of times and the debate than it caused anything."

In his statement, Webb said that his article was written "during a time of great emotional debate . . . in this country." He said he is "completely comfortable" with the role of women in the military today, which he helped achieve by increasing opportunities for women while he was Secretary of the Navy under Reagan.

Webb spokeswoman Kristian Denny Todd said Allen was trying to smear Webb because the Democrat has been gaining in recent polls. "This is all they have, this kind of thing," she said. "It makes sense they would go in this direction."

From an article © 2006 The Washington Post Company by Michael D. Shear and Tim Craig appearing Thursday, September 14, 2006